Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity has announced its largest-ever team for the Bath Half Marathon, after filling all 60 of its charity places for the 2026 event.
The runners will take on the iconic race on Sunday 15 March, representing Bath’s official air ambulance charity in what is one of the UK’s most established half marathons and the largest charity fundraising event in the south west.
This year’s team brings together a wide mix of supporters from across the region, including former patient Luke Dark, officers from Wiltshire Police, a corporate team from engineering firm Rotork, charity staff members and members of the air ambulance’s operational crew.
Among those running are Health and Safety Manager Teresa Harris and colleague Alex Winchcombe, alongside pilot David “Elvis” Costello, volunteer doctor Dr Giles Nicholes and critical care paramedic Matt Metcalf.
The Bath Half marks the charity’s biggest entry to date, with each runner committing to raise a minimum of £250. Collectively, the team is aiming to raise at least £15,000 — enough to fund more than three potentially lifesaving missions across Wiltshire and Bath.
Teresa Harris, who is running her first ever half marathon, said taking part was a personal decision.
“Having worked for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity for three years, I’ve seen first-hand how vital the service is for our community,” she said. “I wanted to do something meaningful to help raise funds. I never imagined I would run a half marathon — my longest distance before was 5km — but every step is worth it to support this incredible service.”
One of the most recognisable faces in the team is former patient Luke Dark, from Melksham, whose recovery story has inspired many locally. After suffering a serious medical emergency that left him in a coma, Luke has raised more than £3,600 so far for the charity.
Now a volunteer, Luke is once again running the Bath Half as a way of giving back to the service that provides critical care across the region.
The charity’s operational crew are also taking on the challenge, swapping flight suits for running shoes. In 2025, the team was called to Bath and surrounding areas an average of four times a week, attending 97 missions in the city — more than eight per cent of all call-outs that year. Overall, the charity responded to more than 70 per cent of incidents requiring a critical care response in the Bath area.
Chloe Holtom, Events Planner at Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity, said the response to this year’s places has been overwhelming.
“We doubled the number of charity places available this year, so we’re thrilled to have filled every single one,” she said. “Every runner is helping to keep our lifesaving service flying. We rely entirely on the generosity of our communities, and our staff and volunteers can’t wait to cheer the team on around the course.”
The charity is encouraging people to support the runners through online sponsorship, helping ensure its crews can continue delivering lifesaving care when it is needed most.
